Hair dryer



D. B. PRICE Dec. 1, 1970 HAIR DRYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 31. 1968 FIG.4.

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Q m 6 7 v r \I 5 4 5 7 I 6 6 8 '9 \a 3 6 8 8 0 A 5 Z I u 8 I 1 6 \1 GGJII 1 4 c L 7 I 5 5 m 8 M 5 2 2 7 9 |lL|| 3 3 1 6 A 4 2 A 3 4 n 3 I 6 1 4 l 4 9 3 3 7 I 4 4 2 m 7 4 United States Patent O 3,543,412 HAIR DRYER David B. Price, Mansfield, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 31, 1968, Ser. No. 749,136 Int. Cl. A45d 20/18 U.S. Cl. 34-99 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates, in general, to portable hair dryers and, more particularly, to soft-bonnet hair dryers of the portable type.

The effect of moisture on womens hair as an aid in the conditioning thereof is well known. For a long time, a common practice in setting the hair has been to apply water followed by rolling of the hair on curlers. Alternately, the hair has been rolled with curlers, while in a dry condition, and subsequently treated by applying wet towels.

Such practices paved the way for the application of moisture in conjunction with salon type hair dryers. Such constructions rely on the steam rising from the steam generator to the hood, the steam generator being remote from the hood. Because salon type hair dryers are constructed from rigid materials, the steam rises quite satisfactorily, but the same is not true with respect to hair dryers utilizing a soft or collapsible bonnet. This is attributable, at least in part, to the presence of restrictions inherent in a flexible construction. For example, the collapsible bonnet comprises sheets of plastic material bonded together in a manner to provide air ducts thcrebetween. In the collapsed state, the sheets of material impede the flow of steam.

One solution to this problem has been to combine the forced air with the steam whereby the forced air inflates the bonnet allowing the steam to be carried therethrough. While such a construction operates satisfactorily, it has been found that its operation can be substantially enhanced.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved soft-bonnet hair dryer.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a new and improved soft-bonnet hair dryer which is capable of applying steam to the hair.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a soft-bonnet hair dryer, mechanism for simultaneously generating steam and heating fan-forced air which heated air and steam are subsequently combined before application to the hair.

A further object of this invention is to provide, in a hair dryer having structure for combining steam with heated air, means for varying the air flow rate.

SUMMARY Briefly, the present invention accomplishes the abovecited objects by the provision, in a portable hair dryer 3,543,412 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 of the soft-bonnet type, of a combination water boiler and air heater which converts the water to steam while simultaneously heating fan forced air. The heated air is combined with the steam and is then conveyed to the bonnet.

The combination boiler and heater comprises an aluminum casting having a sheath heater embedded therein, intermediate a water reservoir portion and a plurality of heat dissipating fins, across which the air is directed. The reservoir portion is provided with a cover having an aperture therein for the introduction of water. Adjacent ends of the reservoir and cover cooperate to form a slot therebetween for egress of steam. The forced air travels along and between the fins below the embedded heater and at the end of the fins adjacent the slot, picks up the steam. The steam-laden air is then directed, by means of a flexible conduit, to a collapsible bonnet comprising two sheets of material bonded together to form air ducts for directing the air to outlet holes provided in the innermost sheet of material.

A baflle is provided to reduce the air flow rate such that an optimum quantity of steam can be picked up by the heated air.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when considered in view of the drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiment forming a part thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair ing the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a hair dryer casing structure forming a part of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the hair dryer casing structure shown in FIG. 2 but with the top cover removed to reveal a combination heater and boiler structure forming a part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is an end view, taken on the line VIVI of FIG. 2, showing a damper for the combination boiler and heater.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, especially FIG. 1, reference character 10 designates generally a hair dryer apparatus comprising a casing structure 11 having a hinged top 12 shown in the open position. A conventional hood or collapsible bonnet 13, adapted to cover the hair of the user, is connected to air outlet means 14 by a flexible hose or conduit 16. The outlet means 14 is in the form of an opening in a cover 18, provided for the casing structure 11.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a support plate 19 is provided in the casing structure 11. The plate 19 supports a motor 21 on its top wall while the motor shaft extends through an opening 22 and has staked to the end thereof an impeller 23.

An upstanding wall 24 structure (FIGS. 2 and 4) integral with the casing structure 11 has a substantially scrollshaped configuration as viewed in FIG. 2. The wall 24 cooperates with the plate 19 to form an impeller chamber 26 and an air duct 27 communicating therewith. Formed integrally with the wall 24 are a plurality of screw receiving support posts 28 (FIG. '6) to which the plate 19 is secured by a plurality of screws 29 and a pair of depending sleeves 31 carried by the underside of the cover 18 (see FIG. 5). A plurality of screws 32 extend through dryer represent- 3 the depending sleeves 31 and are received in the posts 28 and posts 33.

Energization of the motor 21 by means of a stacked switch structure 34, causes the impeller 23 to draw air, in the direction of the arrows, through a plurality of openings 36 provided in the cover 18. The air continues through a plurality of openings 37 in the plate 19, through the impeller 23 and chamber 26, to the outlet 14 via the air warming portion of a combination boiler and heater structure 38. The structure 38 is secured to the plate 19 by screws 29 and is partially disposed in the air duct 27.

The stacked switch structure 34 is of a well known type comprising a plurality of contact carrying arms 39, 41 and 42 spaced, one from the other by insulating Washers 43. A conventional bimetal control member 44 having a pin :member carried by the free end thereof, engages the arm 42 to effect opening and closing of the contacts carried by the arms 39, 41 and 42. To adjust the temperature at which contact making and breaking occurs, a conventional rotatable shaft member 46 is provided which shaft is actuatable by a control knob 47. The contact arm 39 is operatively connected to a resistance heater 47, to be discussed hereinafter, while the contact arms 41 and 42 are operatively connected to a common lead in the motor 21 in that order. The leads and their connections are conventional and therefore have been omitted for sake of clarity.

The switch structure 34 is secured to the combination boiler and heater structure 38 which structure comprises a cast construction, preferably of aluminum material. The switch structure 34 is so calibrated as to limit the maximum temperature of the casting to 250 F. The resistance heater 47 is embedded in the casting intermediate a boiler section 48 and an air heating section com prising a plurality of heat dissipating fins 49. The fins 49 serve to channel the air through the duct 27 to the outlet 14. The heater capacity is preferably 300 watts and the casting is so constructed as to transfer suflicient heat to the air in order to raise the temperature thereof to a maximum of 120 F.

The boiler section 48 comprises a plurality of upstanding walls 51, 52 and 53, a cover member 54 and a bottom Wall 55 delineating a chamber or cavity wherein water is converted to steam. The steam, thus generated, discharges through a clearance opening '56 between the cover member 54 in the upstanding wall 53, and is picked up by the heated air in an area indicated at 57. The bottom wall 55 is provided with a plurality of L-shaped water traps 58 which allow water to be equally distributed over the surface of the bottom wall 5 when the casing structure is in a level position. If the casing structure 11 is tipped the water is prevented from leaving the boiler section, by the L-shaped water traps 58. The cover 18 is provided with a recessed area 59 having an opening 61 therein which communicates with an opening 62 in the cover member 54. The opening 61 is adapted to be selectively opened by means of a plug or stopper 63 and is utilized for introduction of water into the boiler section from a measuring bottle 64 stored in a recess 66 in the cover 18.

A baflle member 67 pivotally secured to the structure 38 by means of a hingle pin 68 serves to reduce the air flow created by the impeller 23 from c.f.m. to 3 c.f.m. To this end, the bafile 6-7 is provided with an aperture 4 65. The baflie member 67 is biased to an open position by a spring 69 and is adapted to be moved to a closed position through engagement of the spring 69 by a spring 70, carried by a port 71, and a cam 72 carried by the knob 47, upon rotation of the control member 47 to the steam position thereof as shown in FIG. 6 in dotted line.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above described apparatus and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

.1. Hair dryer structure comprising:

a collapsible bonnet,

casing structure,

means in said casing structure foreffecting flow of air,

means in said casing structure for heating the flowing air,

means in said casing structure for converting water to steam,

said air heating means and said water converting means comprising a unitary structure having a water reservoir portion and a finned heat dissipating portion with a heater element disposed therebetween and in intimate heat transfer relationship therewith,

means providing a flow path between said casing structure and said bonnet for conveying steam-laden air from the former to the latter, said means providing a flow path including an area where said steam and said heated air are mixed,

means for varying the air flow rate comprising a baffle,

and

said finned portion having air inlet side adapted to be partially blocked by said bafile.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 including,

control structure including manually actuatable means,

means cooperating with said control structure for moving said baffle to its air blocking position when said control structure is in a predetermined one of its operative modes.

3. Structure as specified in claim 2 including,

means biasing said bafile to its non-air blocking position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,765,380 6/19'30 McGinnis 34-99 2,759,713 8/1956 Maniscalco 21-1l9 X 3,004,540 10/ 1961 Ronzi 34-99 XR 3,209,124 9/1965 Morrissey et a1. 2.19-362 XR 6,290,794 12/1966 Mango 34-99 FOREIGN PATENTS 62,693 7/ 1940 Norway.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, 111., Primary Examiner H. B. RAMEY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. l32-9; 2219-3-62 

